The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-27

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goods needed by my family free from tsI.
Nay, win give up every advastsge of the
wool tariff on the wool Of my $50 sheen for
the privilege Of buying one pair Of untaIed
pantaloons q year.
The chief end and purpose of all this silly
talk about this wool tariff is to pull the
wool over the eyes of the efarmer, It seems
to have done that efectually. Will thew
never see how they are cheated? That
farmers are cheated seems to me to be
clearly demonstrated by the fact shown by
the census that their wealth increased
under the low tariff between 1850 and
1850 more than 100 per cent; between
1850 and 1870 the increase was only 50
per cent, and between 1870 and 1880 it was
only per cent. It is certain that If the
eecadence OF the prosperity of the farming
classes continues in the future, as II, has
since the adoption of our high tariff. the
wealth of that class at the close of the cur
rent decade will not be so great as it was
In 1850. They started out in 1850 with half
OF the wealth OF the country, and increased
1t In ten years more than s., ,000, ,O00, COO.
In the next twenty years they made an in
crease bv the census estimates of only
$4,122, ,588, ,781. The other half of the
community started in 1860 with about the
same amount of capital, and in twenty
years increased their wealth by the census
estimates more than SIS, 900, ,000, 900. If
the census estimates are approximately
correct, the half of our population, not en-
gaged In farming, have under the high
tariH-starting with the same amount of
capital more than Eve times
as much wealth as the farmers have.
They have in twenty years accumulated
more than one-half the wealth of the entire
union.
IMPERATIVE DEMAND.
Now, gentlemen, shall we reduce the
tari1 taxes2 That they ought to be re-
dueed, and reduced with the least possible
delay it seems to me that the safety as well
as the interests Of the country and simple
Justice imperatively demand. How shall
those OF US who think as think act to best
aid in securing the reduction? There is
no possibility of efecting anything except
through some party organization. ! re-
seems on this subject to be irretrieyably
committed to the wrong side. Their plat
form, their press, their speakers, their can
dldates are all committed to the substan-
tlal maintenance of our most oppressive,
and inexcusable tariff. They prom
ise no relief whatever. At the last session,
OF Congress bill was reported by the
Ways and Means Committee looking to a
tarlh reduction. The Republicans had
majority OF the Senate, and if the bill had
even passed the House in form the Re
publlcans regarded as improper, they still
had absolute power over it In the Senate,
Under these circumstances what did the
Republicans do? Nearly every one of
them voted to refuse even to consider the
question of reducing our tariff taxes. and
q fam L.
ceeded in preventing the bill from being
taken up. What contrast that was
with the conduct Of the first Re-
publican Congress! On the other hand.
a great majority of the Democratic
In Congress labored long and earnestly to
secure the consideration and passage of
bill, subject to the amendment in the
House, or in the Republican Senate, that
would give relief ard avoid certain and
extreme danger. The Democratic party Of
Ohio have declared in favor of tariff re-
duction and placed at the head of their
ticket candidate who l think is an earn
est advocate of extensive tariff reforma-
ton. Under the circumstances what is
the duty of man entertaining my vieusp
Can there be any doubt that l ought to
support Mr.. Powell? IL any Of you, my
Republican friends, think as / think about
this most important matter, can YOU. as
honest men, have doubt that it is your
duty to support Mr.. Powell?
In 1851 when the war broke out. and
the country was in peril, hundreds of
thousands of honest and patriotic Demo
crats, forgetting all past party prejudices,
though they had just EN- erged from a
heated party canvass, rushed to the de-
Tense of the country under the leader.
ship of the head of the Republican party.
II they had not done that it is not prob
able that this country would have been
the great and united country it is to-day.
Again, the best interests Of the country
are IN jeopardy. There is, as see it, but
one way to avoid the peril. Shall we
Republicans be less patriotic in 1887 Than
our Democratic brothers were In 1861? 1t
is the duty of a good citizen to make use Of
party organization to accomplish what he
believes to be right, A good citizen should
not allow himself to be used by any party
organization to aid in the accomplishment
or continuance of great and dangerous
wrong. | trust before this election con-
test is closed. that enough Republicans
ny1k